


So that's why they call it the Wounded Coast

by Newagenewbarricade



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Gen, Saarebas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:48:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5784226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Newagenewbarricade/pseuds/Newagenewbarricade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carver often walks along the wounded coast to be alone with his thoughts. His thoughts most definitely were not what he found in the sand that day</p>
            </blockquote>





	So that's why they call it the Wounded Coast

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prouveyrac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prouveyrac/gifts).



                Carver found himself wandering the wounded coast again, not in the company of his older sibling or any of their usual friends just Carver and his thoughts. It seemed like with every passing day Carver felt himself retreating further and further into himself, not that anyone cared when Hawke’s bitter little brother shut up. Carver leaned on a pale tree and watched the water crashing into the jagged rocks below. From his vantage point the rocks looked like a jagged scar the land had never healed from,

                “I guess that’s why they call it the wounded coast.” Carver said to himself. He backed away from the edge of the rock and continued on the abandoned path. Salty air was one of the things he wasn’t ever sure he’d quite get used to, even Ferelden coastal cities didn’t have air that smelt of the sea that seemed to permeate throughout the free marches. Carver heard a rustling further ahead on the path. He grabbed his blade and approached the sound preparing for a bandit raid or something of that nature.

                Carver certainly wasn’t expecting what greeted him down the path. Before Carver was a severely injured qunari, from the looks of it if he wasn’t already dead he would be soon. The qunari’s wrists were bound behind his back and he was face down in the dirt, a spear was sticking out of his back. Carver grimaced as he put his blade away, remembering Ketojan, who his sister had tried so hard to save only for him to throw his life away. Carver knelt in front of the qunari, he was still breathing,

                “Can you speak?” Carver asked. The qunari looked at him, his eyes barely able to stay open. It was then that Carver saw that the qunari’s lips were sewn shut. Carver took out his dagger and cut the yellow thread, the qunari’s black lips were covered in tiny lacerations and scars. Carver knit his brow, he was no healer but he wasn’t about to let this qunari die, something almost other worldly was practically compelling him to not let this qunari die. He bit his lip and assessed the situation, the spear sticking out of the qunari’s back was definitely the most pressing issue.

                “Shit I’m no healer.” He said under his breath. He splayed one hand around where the spear had lodged itself in the qunari’s back and the other was grasping the shaft. He bit his lip as he pulled it out. The qunari let out a pained grunt. Carver winced at the qunari’s reaction as well as the barbed wire on the spear. The qunari needed bandaging if he was to survive, he knew how to dress a wound. He looked around for any fabric he could use when he remembered he was wearing a shirt with sleeves for once, the last shirt with sleeves in fact. The qunari’s blood was on his hands when he began cutting his sleeves into usable strips of fabric. He tied the now reddened fabric around the qunari’s worst wound.

                “I need you to speak to me, can you do that? Can you speak?” Carver asked.

                The qunari grunted, but it was a purposeful one. He looked up at Carver, he seemed confused.

                “I’m here to help you.” Carver said. The qunari still seemed confused, like he didn’t understand what Carver was saying.

                “I need to get you to a proper healer…” Carver’s eyes wandered to the golden shackles that locked the qunari’s arms behind his back. Carver touched them but yanked his fingers back at the sting. The shackles were clearly enchanted in some way. Carver knew he was going to need help with this qunari.

                “You have to get up.” He said.

                The qunari picked up his head and looked at Carver like he’d just grown a second head.

                “Okay so you do understand me, I want to help you but first I need you to stand up.” Carver said as he began to pull the qunari to his feet by the shoulder, he was thin for a qunari even though he was still muscular. Standing up Carver realized this qunari was even taller than him. As soon as the qunari was on his feet he collapsed again, Carver barely managed to catch him.

                “I see how it is, alright I can handle this.” Carver said adjusting his grip on the qunari. He was surprised at how light the qunari was in his arms,

                “So, you can speak, are you qunari or tal vashoth? And who did this to you?” Carver asked as he carried the mystery mage towards the city. The qunari didn’t answer him and Carver hoped he simply didn’t feel like talking.

 The journey through Kirkwall was a dangerous one, for one if they were attacked Carver would have to drop the mage to get to his weapon and travelling with an injured qunari likely wasn’t to earn him any steadfast allies. He came upon the outskirts of the city, from here he just needed to stay in the shadows until he found a tunnel or set of stairs leading to Darktown. He needed to get to Anders clinic, not that that was an easy feet mind you. Carver did manage to stay in the shadows of Lowtown for the most part but he was not the only one who travelled in the dark. A chantry fanatic began screaming as loud as she could about the heathen in the city. Carver told her to shut the fuck up, then she proceeded to start yelling about the Ferelden hound travelling with said heathen. Carver reminded himself to walk faster, he tightened his grip on the qunari,

“You’re not Ketojan, we’re going to save you this time. _I’m_ going to save you.” Carver said. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure the qunari or himself at this point, not that it mattered much either way. He kept a running commentary for the qunari, telling him who he was being brought to and why,

“He’s a serious man and never shuts up about mages but he has a good heart. He’ll help you I’m sure of it.” Carver promised the qunari. The qunari’s head was in the crook of his neck, he could feel the shallow breaths the mage was taking, that was encouraging at least.

“He’ll be there.” Carver said as he stepped onto the lift that brought people and goods to and from Darktown. When the lift came to a stop Carver braced himself as he stepped into the dank sewers that made up Kirkwall’s infamous under city. Samwise, an old friend of his and hawke’s from their mercenary days gave him an odd look. A few Ferelden refugees muttered something about filthy ox-lovers and he was fairly certain at least one of them thought he was the viscount’s son. Carver rolled his eyes, this was much tamer than he’d expected. He headed down the first of many half rotted staircases that would eventually lead to Anders’ clinic. He hoped that Hawke had decided to take a break from adventuring, it was the only time Anders ever left his clinic as of late and he needed Anders to be here.

Carver went down the one set of rotten stairs and immediately went up the last ones that stood between him and Anders clinic. He was exhausted and he felt as if his arms would fall off at any moment.

“Still with me stranger?” He asked the qunari.

“Thank you.” Barely more than a whisper but Carver could feel him speak the words against his neck. Carver hadn’t expected any response from the qunari much less one of thanks. Carver pushed the door to Anders clinic open, he heard a few patients gasp at the sight before them.

“Anders, Anders I need help.” Carver said.

The exhausted apostate looked up from the broken bone he’d just finished setting, he went from looking confused to shocked to once again the calm veneer of a healer all in a blink,

“Put him on the cot.” Anders said.

Carver went over to the nearest empty cot and laid the mage down gently. This was the first chance Carver had to finally get a good look at the qunari, he had long black hair and ram like silver horns. His nose was broken sometime in the past and he had two small scars on his cheek. Anders pushed Carver out of his way,

“Where did you find him?” Anders asked, still not looking at Carver.

“Wounded coast.” Carver said.

“Fitting.” Anders muttered.

“Is he going to make it?” Carver asked, lowering his voice so the qunari wouldn’t hear him.

“I’m doing the best I can.” Anders assured him.

Carver hovered around Anders all the while, he was the one who found the mage and it was up to him to make sure he recovered.

“He’s a mage.” Anders breathed.

“I know.” Carver said.

“The shackles are enchanted.” Anders said.”

“They burned me.”

“Carver I need you to grab the leather gloves and handsaw from my quarters, you know where they are.”

Carver nodded and rushed to the back of the clinic where Anders kept his surgical supplies along with the meager possessions he had after he left the wardens. Carver grabbed the gloves and the saw and ran back to the healer.

“Here you are.” He said.

“Thank you.” Anders said as he put the gloves on turning his attention to the qunari, “I’m going to turn you over now to get to the shackles, alright?” The qunari looked nervous,

“Carver.” He said.

“You want Carver to do it?” Anders asked.

The qunari nodded.

“He trusts you.” Anders said, “I don’t suppose you know how to pick locks?” He asked as he placed the saw into Carver’s hands. Carver looked at the saw like it was something completely foreign, why did this qunari trust him so much? More importantly why did Carver feel his stomach tighten when the qunari said his name? He knelt beside the cot pressing one hand to the mage’s back feeling the leathery fabric his bandeau was made of and his rough skin as well. He began sawing at the chain leaving the qunari incapable of using his arms. He worked at the chain for quite some time,

“Almost there.” He assured the qunari.

“Have you met him before?”

“Found him on a walk, I couldn’t just leave him there.” Carver said.

“You tried to heal him.” Anders pointed out.

Carver had finally broken the chain between the two shackles. He moves his hand on the qunari’s back slightly,

“I couldn’t leave him there, he needed help and I had to make sure he got it.” Carver said. The qunari sat up, looking at the two humans in a quiet amazement.

“I know how to pick locks.” Carver offered.

“When did you learn how to pick locks?” Anders asked as he put a simple lock pick in Carver’s outstretched palm.

“You learn a few things on the road, I’m no Isabela but I manage.” Carver said as he began working on the first shackle.

“A friend offered to teach me once, but I told him if I was able to heal and pick locks he’d be out of a job.” Anders said with a smile.

“Meaning you stared at his ass while he picked locks.” Carver said as he worked on the second shackle, Anders wasn’t secretive about his attraction to men, while Carver wasn’t sure he wanted his older brother shacking up with Anders he could respect the apostate’s confidence.

“They were shameless.” Justice said flaring up it seemed only to embarrass their host.

Carver rolled his eyes and continued working on the shackles. The other lock finally gave and the qunari was free, his wrists were rubbed raw from the years of confinement. He touched his wrists with a surprised reverence on his face.

“You’re free now.” Carver said thanking the Maker and Andraste that this mage bore no resemblance to Ketojan.

“Thank you.” The qunari said with great effort, it was clear he was trying to find something else to say.

“What’s your name?” Carver asked.

                “I am a Saarebas, but now I am free.” Saarebas said.

                “Where will you go now?” Carver asked.

                “I, do not know.” He replied.

                “What made you flee the qun?” Carver asked.

                The saarebas went on to explain that when he found out he was being taken away from Par Vollen he knew it would be his only chance to escape and after hearing about a Saarebas who was separated from his Karatam the saarebas decided the risk was worth the reward and his Karatam wasn’t exactly pleased with his actions.

                “Any qunari who sees me will want me dead.” He finished.

                “I know an abandoned cave on the wounded coast, you can hide out there.” Carver suggested.

                “You, you are a generous Carver.” The saarebas said.

                “I will take you there, just give me a moment with my friend.” Carver said nodding to Anders. The saarebas nodded. Carver took Anders to the side of the clinic out of hearing range of the qunari.

                “Hawke can’t know about this.” Carver said.

                “Fine,” Anders’ eyes shot to the saarebas, “make sure he gets out of the city safely, we don’t want-” Anders was cut off.

                “He’s not Ketojan, it’s not happening to him.” Carver said firmly.

                “My lips are sealed.” Anders said.

                Carver went over to Saarebas,

                “Let’s get you out of the city.” He said as he held his hand out for the mage who took it almost disbelievingly.

                “Is a Carver a protector?” Saarebas asked.

                “This one is.” Carver said.

**Author's Note:**

> so this qunari oc belongs to me and my best friend tj/prouveyrac. please comment and all that, my tumblr is alinnsurana etc etc.  
> Edit: my friend drew my beautiful boy so here's a link http://pikoutatanev2.tumblr.com/post/169849205542/alinnsurana-hello-my-friend-i-absolutely


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